The total value of an OWCP schedule award uses three factors: your compensation rate × the statutory weeks for the scheduled member × the accepted impairment percentage. Example: a 20% arm impairment at a $1,000 weekly compensation rate equals 312 × 20% × $1,000 = $62,400 over the award period.
How OWCP schedule award amounts are calculated
OWCP schedule awards use a single formula with three inputs. Every award you'll read about — high or low — comes from these same three numbers multiplied together.
Compensation rate × statutory weeks × accepted impairment percentage = total schedule-award value. Regular payments follow the award notice; a commuted lump sum requires separate OWCP approval.
Your compensation rate — 66⅔% or 75%
The first number is your compensation rate — not your full salary, but a percentage of it. FECA sets this at 66⅔% of your regular weekly pay if you have no eligible dependents. If you have at least one eligible dependent (a spouse living with you, or a qualifying child), the rate rises to 75%. This is the same percentage used for OWCP wage-loss compensation on Form CA-7.
Whichever rate applies, that percentage is applied to your average weekly pay rate at the time of injury — capped by an annual maximum published by the Department of Labor.
Body-part weeks — set by law, not by injury severity
The second number is the number of compensation weeks Congress assigned to each body part in the FECA schedule (5 U.S.C. §8107). These are legislated values — an arm is worth 312 weeks whether the injury was severe or moderate. The severity shows up in the third input (your impairment percentage), not here.
Impairment percentage — from the AMA Guides, 6th Edition
The third number is your impairment rating — the percentage of permanent function you have lost. For FECA schedule awards, the Department of Labor directs physicians to use the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition, after Maximum Medical Improvement.
The exam happens only after you reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) — the point where your condition has stabilized and further recovery isn't expected. Rating before MMI is premature and OWCP will not accept it.
Schedule award weeks by body part (FECA schedule)
These are the compensation weeks Congress assigned to each scheduled member under 5 U.S.C. 8107. Multiply the weeks by the accepted impairment percentage and weekly compensation rate to estimate the total value payable over the award period.
| Body part | Weeks | 100% impairment estimate* |
|---|---|---|
| Arm (lost or 100% impairment) | 312 | $312,000 |
| Leg | 288 | $288,000 |
| Hand | 244 | $244,000 |
| Foot | 205 | $205,000 |
| Eye | 160 | $160,000 |
| Thumb | 75 | $75,000 |
| First (index) finger | 46 | $46,000 |
| Second finger | 30 | $30,000 |
| Third finger | 25 | $25,000 |
| Fourth finger | 15 | $15,000 |
| Great toe | 38 | $38,000 |
| Other toe (each) | 16 | $16,000 |
| One ear (hearing loss) | 52 | $52,000 |
| Both ears (hearing loss) | 200 | $200,000 |
Back and neck are not scheduled members — but nerve damage may still qualify
The spine itself is not on the FECA schedule. There is no direct schedule award for a back or neck injury. However, if the spinal injury causes measurable permanent nerve damage or functional impairment in a scheduled extremity (arm or leg) — for example, radiculopathy affecting grip strength or gait — you may qualify for a schedule award rated through that extremity.
Even when a schedule award isn't available for the spine directly, OWCP wage-loss compensation and medical benefits still apply to back conditions. The schedule award is one benefit alongside others, not a substitute for them.
Worked examples
Three scenarios to show how the formula applies. All amounts are illustrative — your actual weekly compensation rate and impairment percentage will produce different numbers.
Example 1 — 20% arm impairment, $1,000 weekly rate
A federal worker suffers a shoulder injury that reaches MMI. An AMA-Guides 6th Edition exam assigns a 20% impairment of the arm. Their weekly compensation rate is $1,000. The arm is 312 weeks on the FECA schedule.
312 weeks × 20% impairment × $1,000/week = $62,400 total value over the award period.
Example 2 — 15% leg impairment, $1,000 weekly rate
A postal worker develops permanent knee dysfunction after a fall. AMA-Guides 6th Edition rates the impairment at 15% of the leg. Compensation rate is $1,000/week. The leg is 288 weeks.
288 weeks × 15% impairment × $1,000/week = $43,200 total value over the award period.
Example 3 — nerve damage rated through the affected arm
A federal employee sustains a cervical injury that causes lasting radiculopathy in the dominant arm. The spine itself is not scheduled, but the AMA-Guides 6th Edition assigns a 12% upper-extremity impairment based on the nerve dysfunction and functional loss. Compensation rate is $1,000/week.
312 weeks × 12% impairment × $1,000/week = $37,440 total value over the award period. The accepted impairment is rated through the arm even though the underlying condition originates in the neck.
How long does a schedule award take to be approved?
OWCP does not publish one guaranteed processing time for schedule awards. Timing varies with the completeness of the claim and impairment report and whether OWCP requests clarification, medical-adviser review, or another examination.
What can prevent avoidable delay
- A complete AMA-Guides 6th Edition report — correct edition explicitly stated, all rating tables referenced, functional history documented, and a clearly stated impairment percentage.
- MMI documented before the rating is performed (no premature ratings).
- Form CA-7 filed at the same time as the rating report, not months later.
- A response from your treating provider to any development letters OWCP sends within their requested timeframe.
An impairment report that does not follow the AMA Guides, Sixth Edition, or omits the specific rating tables and objective findings the Department of Labor requires. The report should show the tables, measurements, and MMI date supporting the percentage.
What you need to claim a schedule award
- Reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI). Your treating provider must document that your condition has stabilized. Ratings performed before MMI will not be accepted.
- Obtain a physician impairment rating using the AMA Guides, 6th Edition. The rating must state the impairment percentage of the affected scheduled member (arm, leg, hand, foot, eye, etc.).
- File Form CA-7 with medical evidence supporting the rating. Attach the complete impairment report — not just a summary — and any supporting imaging, functional testing, or treatment notes referenced in the rating.
MMI is a clinical determination that further recovery isn't expected. The AMA-Guides impairment exam is a separate, formal evaluation that can only happen after MMI is documented. Trying to combine them or short-cut the sequence tends to produce reports OWCP will reject.
Get your OWCP impairment rating in Las Vegas
NuThera is an OWCP-enrolled clinic in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas providing physician impairment evaluations for federal workers. Reports document the applicable Guides tables, clinical measurements, functional history, accepted condition, and MMI date so OWCP can evaluate the claimed impairment.
Book an OWCP impairment-rating evaluation at NuThera — (725) 726-7914. We serve Las Vegas (5765 S. Rainbow Blvd., Suite 111) and North Las Vegas (3880 W. Ann Rd., Suite 130).
Official sources
- 20 CFR 10.404, Schedule Impairment Compensation (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-10/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFR7e58d4407f21abd/section-10.404), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations; current text accessed August 31, 2026.
- 20 CFR 10.422, Lump-Sum Payments (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-10/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFR9c7b57ad9f99094/section-10.422), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations; current text accessed August 31, 2026.
- 5 U.S.C. 8107, Compensation Schedule (https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=%28title%3A5+section%3A8107+edition%3Aprelim%29), U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel; current preliminary edition accessed August 31, 2026.
- Federal Employees’ Compensation Act FAQs (https://www.dol.gov/agencies/owcp/FECA/fec-faq), U.S. Department of Labor; publication date not listed; accessed August 31, 2026.
- FECA Procedure Manual, Chapter 2-1300, Lump-Sum Payments (https://www.dol.gov/agencies/owcp/FECA/regs/compliance/DFECfolio/FECA-PT2/group2), U.S. Department of Labor; lump-sum calculation revision September 2020; accessed August 31, 2026.
Keep exploring.
- OWCP schedule awards — eligibility and the basics
The parent pillar — what schedule awards are, who qualifies, and how they fit alongside other OWCP benefits.
- How long does a schedule award take? Payment and review guide
What affects OWCP processing, how 28-day payments work, and when OWCP may approve a commuted lump sum.
- Schedule award for nerve damage
How radiculopathy, carpal tunnel, and peripheral neuropathy are rated through a scheduled extremity under the AMA Guides 6th Edition.
- OWCP Continuation of Pay & Form CA-7
How wage-loss compensation is calculated during the 45-day COP window and after — schedule awards are paid separately.
- OWCP Forms library
Companion guides for CA-7 and the medical evidence a schedule award claim requires.
- OWCP Glossary
Definitions of MMI, impairment percentage, scheduled member, and the AMA Guides — every term used in this guide.
- DOL Injury Recovery at NuThera
How our multidisciplinary team supports federal workers through evaluation, treatment, and impairment rating.
- OWCP claim denied? What to do next
If your schedule award claim is denied, the reconsideration and ECAB appeal path.
Common questions.
How much is an OWCP schedule award worth?
The total value of a schedule award is the compensation rate multiplied by the statutory weeks for the scheduled member and the accepted impairment percentage. Example: a 20% arm impairment at a $1,000 weekly compensation rate equals 312 × 0.20 × $1,000 = $62,400 over the award period. Regular payments follow the award notice; a lump sum requires separate OWCP approval.
How is an OWCP schedule award calculated?
The formula is three factors multiplied together: compensation rate × body-part weeks × impairment percentage. Your compensation rate is 66⅔% of your regular weekly pay if you have no eligible dependents, 75% if you have at least one. Body-part weeks are set by law (5 U.S.C. §8107) — an arm is 312 weeks, a leg is 288, a hand is 244, and so on. Impairment percentage comes from a physician's evaluation using the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 6th Edition.
Can you get a schedule award for nerve damage?
Yes, when the nerve damage causes measurable permanent impairment in a scheduled extremity — for example, radiculopathy affecting arm or leg function. The rating is calculated through the affected upper or lower extremity using the AMA Guides 6th Edition. Isolated nerve damage that does not affect a scheduled member typically does not qualify.
Can you get an OWCP schedule award for a back injury?
The back itself is not a scheduled member under FECA — there is no direct schedule award for the spine. However, if a back injury causes nerve damage or functional impairment in a scheduled extremity (arm or leg), you may qualify for a schedule award rated through that extremity. Wage-loss compensation and medical benefits still apply to back conditions even when no schedule award is available.
How long does OWCP schedule award approval take?
OWCP does not publish a guaranteed approval timeframe. Processing depends on whether the accepted condition and scheduled member are clear, the impairment report contains the required measurements and analysis, and OWCP needs clarification, medical-adviser review, or another examination.
Do you get a schedule award and wage-loss compensation at the same time?
Payment coordination depends on the benefit periods and the member or function involved. OWCP applies FECA's overlap rules when wage-loss compensation and a schedule award cover the same period. The award notice and claims examiner should be used to confirm the payment sequence for an individual case.
What impairment guide does OWCP use for schedule awards?
For FECA schedule awards, the Department of Labor requires the impairment rating to follow the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition. The report should be completed after Maximum Medical Improvement and cite the appropriate Guides tables and MMI date.